Please share your organization’s perspective or your own views, questions and hopes on issues surrounding gender equality in the Pacific, from poverty and health to women in power.

That is the appeal from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) ahead of the start next week of a six-month interactive discussion that will result in progress and gaps on gender equality in the Pacific being taken to the United Nations General Assembly in September.

It is the latest step in Pacific involvement in reviewing Beijing+20, an international platform for action to support equality and human rights for all that was adopted 20 years ago.

Between 2 February and 20 July, on the first and third Monday of each month, SPC will prompt a discussion on one of the 12 areas of the Beijing Platform for Action with an interesting finding from the Beijing+20 Pacific regional report, a startling statistic, promising development or important gap.

Prominent figures and practitioners from the gender equality movement in the region will also share their views and experiences online on progress and remaining barriers.

“The objective is to discuss where we stand on the various dimensions of gender equality, exchange successes and setbacks and put together ideas on how to create and maintain momentum for gender equality in the Pacific,” the SPC Deputy Director-General (Suva), Fekitamoeloa Utoikamanu, said.

“Contributing to international processes like the Beijing Platform for Action can seem far removed from our everyday lives, but we must realise that our perspectives matter and it’s important that the specific case of the Pacific Community is put forward in international arenas like the UN,” Mrs Utoikamanu said.

To take part, register to join one of the online communities of practice on gender equality in the Pacific – Pacwin (Anglophone) or Actfemmes (francophone) – by contacting Mereoni Tavakaturaga-Robinson in SPC’s Social Development Division on [email protected].

The main points on topics ranging from poverty, education, health, the environment, the media, mechanisms for the advancement of women, armed conflict and women in power will be captured by SPC and shared during the discussion on the post-2015 development agenda at the United Nations Special Summit on Sustainable Development  in September 2015.

For more information on this discussion, check SPC’s announcement

SPC is Permanent Observer to the UN General Assembly.

Media contacts: Blandine Mollard Research Officer, Gender Equality, [email protected] +687 26 01 78

Jean-Noel Royer SPC Communication Officer, [email protected]  +687 87 70 63